Words That Describe Me Before Losing Weight with Weight Watchers and Now

I attended a Weight Watchers training recently where we were asked to describe ourselves “before” Weight Watchers and “after” once the whole weight loss thing finally fell into place. During the exercise the one word that popped into my head to describe me before was “denial.”

I hadn’t really thought about it again until this morning when I was flooded with words and feelings that described me “before” and “now.” I rushed to grab a notebook and jot them down, since I’ve learned from previous experience that these early morning thoughts, which hover on the cusp between my conscious and unconscious minds, are fleeting.

Here’s what I came up with…

Before losing weight and learning to keep it off I would describe myself as:

Frustrated

In denial

“Big boned”

“Sluggish thyroid”

Out of control

Angry

Anxious

Suffering from nutrition information overload

Unaware

Reactive

Unprepared

Unconscious

Shackled

Jealous

Bloated

Uncomfortable

Fat

Matronly

All-or-nothing thinking

Stuck

Afraid

Addicted

Dependent

Moody

Unpredictable

Impatient

Impulsive

Controlled by food

Sluggish

Tortured

Disconnected

Alone

Ashamed

Hurt

Wounded

Victim

Confused

Uncertain

Awkward

Restricted

Searching/Seeking

Un-accepting

Driven

Lacking

Needy

Heavy

Serious

Judgmental

Self-conscious

Asleep

Disordered

Discontent

After finally getting it (which didn’t happen the first time I made lifetime, later) I would use these words to describe myself today:

Accepting

Awake

Comfortable

Appreciative

Grateful

Peaceful

Calm

Ordered

Structure

Content

Capable

Free

Balanced

Settled

In-control/In-charge

Compassionate

Kind

Trusting (of myself and others)

Okay

Simple

Confident

Happy

It’s just food

Connected

Coordinated

Light

Sensible

Curious

Experimental

In-touch

It’s amazing how differently I see myself and the world now. I don’t know the exact moment it happened. Suddenly one day I realized everything was different, as though a switch in my brain had been flipped from off to on and I was no longer fumbling around in the dark.

There’s a peace around food, eating, and my sense of self as it relates to food and my body that I could have never predicted. I didn’t come without years of work. But it was so worth it. For years my affirmation was, “I’m easily and effortlessly maintaining my ideal weight.” I wrote it on index cards and in my journal and repeated it countless times a day.

I still think it to myself during my morning walk, and now, finally, it’s true.